Methods and devices are provided wherein rotational gas-flow is generated by vortex generators to decontaminate dirty gas (e.g., gas contaminated by solid particles) in pumping lines of vacuum systems suitable for use at a semiconductor integrated circuit fabrication facility. The vacuum systems use filterless particle decontamination units wherein rotational gas-flow is applied to separate and trap solid particles from gas prior to the gas-flow entering a vacuum pump. Methods are also described whereby solid deposits along portions of pumping lines may be dislodged and removed and portions of pumping lines may be self-cleaning.

Apparatus and method for volatilizing a source reagent susceptible to particle generation or presence of particles in the corresponding source reagent vapor, in which such particle generation or presence is suppressed by structural or processing features of the vapor generation system. Such apparatus and method are applicable to liquid and solid source reagents, particularly solid source reagents such as metal halides, e.g., hafnium chloride. The source reagent in one specific implementation is constituted by a porous monolithic bulk form of the source reagent material. The apparatus and method of the invention are usefully employed to provide source reagent vapor for applications such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) and ion implantation.

A liquid filter apparatus for gas/solid separation includes a housing with a filter chamber, a semiconductor process gas inlet, and a process gas outlet. The filter chamber forms a liquid reservoir, and the semiconductor process gas inlet and the process gas outlet are in communication with the filter chamber. The housing further includes a filter liquid inlet and a filter liquid outlet, which are in communication with the liquid reservoir for delivering and removing filter fluid, respectively, to and from the liquid reservoir.

A reaction system is disclosed that may be used to prevent formation of contaminants. The reaction system includes a showerhead that may be configured with a gated nanochannel grid to prevent particular gaseous precursors from passing through depending on whether a voltage is applied. The gated nanochannel grid may allow for both polar and non-polar molecules to pass, or may be configured to allow just non-polar or just polar molecules to pass.

The inventive concept relates to an apparatus for processing a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus includes a scatter that is disposed over a baffle and that separates plasma and impurities. The scatter includes a plate having a first opening formed in a central area thereof when viewed from above and a collision block that is disposed over the first opening to face the first opening and that collides with plasma supplied from a plasma generation unit and impurities.

A tray for a vaporization vessel that includes a tray having a side wall, a bottom plate, one or more apertures that extend through the bottom plate, and a duct that extends through and from the bottom plate. The tray configured to support a solid reagent to be vaporized. A method of assembling the tray that includes forming a first tray that has the side wall and the bottom plate. A vaporization vessel that includes one or more of the trays.

A process for removal of impurities, in particular of dopants, from chlorosilanes which includes the following steps: (a) heating a deposition surface (3); (b) contacting the heated deposition surface (3) with at least one gaseous chlorosilane mixture, the gaseous chlorosilane mixture including at least one chlorosilane and at least one impurity, in particular at least one dopant; (c) at least partially removing the impurity, in particular the dopant, by forming polycrystalline silicon depositions on the deposition surface (3), the polycrystalline silicon depositions being enriched with the impurity, in particular with the dopant; (d) discharging the purified gaseous chlorosilane mixture; (e) contacting the heated deposition surface (3) with an etching gas to return the polycrystalline silicon depositions and the impurity, in particular the dopant, into the gas phase to form a gaseous etching gas mixture; and (f) discharging the gaseous etching gas mixture.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a process chamber accommodating a substrate; a gas supply system; and an exhaust system. The supply system includes a vaporizer and a mist filter, the mist filter including a plurality of first plates and a plurality of second plates. Each of the first plates includes a first plate portion having a plurality of first grooves on a surface thereof and a first flow path. Each of the second plates includes a second plate portion having a plurality of second grooves on a surface thereof and a second flow path. When the plurality of first and second plates are arranged alternatively, the plurality of first grooves are configured to face the second flow path and the plurality of second grooves are configured to face the first flow path, such that the first flow path and the second flow path are not in-line.

Apparatus and methods for supplying a gas to a processing chamber are described. The apparatus comprises an inlet line and an outlet line, each with two valves, in fluid communication an ampoule. A bypass line connects the inlet valve and outlet valve closest to the ampoule. The apparatus and methods of use allow a precursor residue to be removed from the delivery lines of a processing chamber.

An apparatus, a method and a valve with a reactive chemical inlet, a reaction chamber outlet, and a closure having an open and closed configuration to open and close, respectively, a route from the reactive chemical inlet to the reaction chamber outlet, the valve further including an additional cleaning chemical inlet at a downstream side of the closure to purge the closure.